Consolidated Kansas

[chickmama1662]

JosieChick, I am so sorry for your losses! Our dog got one of our girls last fall and that was bad enough. He never gets to go outside (even to pee) when they are out. Like you said, the retriever is a hunting dog and that is what they were bred to do. It's good he is gone, you would never be able to trust him. I hope your survivors continue to improve.

 

[HEChicken]

Oh Josie, how awful - I can only imagine how you feel. The closest I have come to that situation was my next door neighbor's dog digging under our fence and getting our chickens and it is just a horrible feeling. I do think a new home is best for that dog. I've seen dogs advertized on Craigslist a few times, where the owner specifically stated "not good with chickens". Fortunately, since the majority of people do NOT keep poultry, there are plenty of homes where those dogs can live out their lives without ever being in such a tempting situation.

Ivy, that coop is adorable - I'm so envious you found a place that already has a coop! Before we started looking, I frequently saw places advertized that had chicken coops already but as soon as we were ready to start seriously looking, there weren't any left!

 

[cherwill]

They look good and are eating fine but their legs seem to not be very strong. Is this common with ducklings? They are on a chick starter that says it is good for baby chicks, ducks, guineas. I read online somewhere that brewer's yeast (good source of niacin) was good for them if they had weak legs so will buy some of that tomorrow. Has anyone had any problems with their baby ducks?

I wish I knew more about ducks and their legs. The third duck that came with my niece's order has a leg that doesn't work right. The friend who wanted the duck said she'd take it anyway, but now she doesn't want it because she can't do anything with it. If it has something to lean against, it can walk, so it puts the bad leg in the waterer trough, leans against the water jug, and walks in circles. The hatchery had offered to refund their money, but they declined at the time. My niece is trying to convince her parents to take the duck and let her try to help it. She's certain it's not a leg problem at all but a mental problem (don't ask!) and it just needs someone to work with it and teach it to walk. She's 14 and does work at a vet's office, but they were no help at all when we had chicken questions. I don't expect them to know much about ducks, but maybe they'll try for her sake.

Well gang, it has finally happened. I have this darn dog from the humane society. He is one of our house dogs and he is a flat coated retriever with a ton of prey drive. We have worked tirelessly with him and the chickens but he still wants to hunt them. He dug out of the privacy fenced backyard while I was gone to Kansas City yesterday and went on a killing spree. I lost 8 cockerels that were growing out for butcher, my best splash cochin roo, two of my precious turkeys and one is seriously wounded and one of my cayuga drakes.

I am still in a state of shock. I got home and there were dead birds everywhere. It was horrifying. The dog is gone with DH to find a new home or be euthanized. I don't know that anyone will want him after what he has done but he would be fine with a family that lived in town. He is just a bird dog with an insatiable drive to hunt and we never should have kept him this long. I am absolutely heartbroken over this. It is bad enough when a predator kills a bird but when your own dog that sleeps on the floor at the end of your bed every night betrays you the pain is just unfathomable. I feel like I let these birds down so badly I can hardly forgive myself. The poor turkey upstairs look terrible and I don't know if he will survive. I feel so badly for the cayuga drake that survived. I thought he was fatally injured last night so I brought him in with the turkey but couldn't find anything wrong. I think he was just completely traumatized by the ordeal and watching his best friend get killed. Those two were inseparable. The other hand full of roos who survived were way off in the woods hiding and it took me over an hour to coax them down out of trees and back into their coop for the night. One bird is still not accounted for and I can't find his body or any remnants of him. It is a tragedy here today.

I'm so sorry. What a disaster. Hopefully someone in town will want the dog; unless they have birds, it shouldn't matter that he loves to hunt birds.

Ivy, that coop is adorable - I'm so envious you found a place that already has a coop! Before we started looking, I frequently saw places advertized that had chicken coops already but as soon as we were ready to start seriously looking, there weren't any left!

That coop IS adorable! Sounds like a great place that has been worked on and taken care of.

We harvested a bunch of stuff today -- a few stray peas, a bunch of beets, radishes and carrots, as well as one rutabaga DH insisted on, even though it's still small for a rutabaga.

 

[chicken danz]

Oh Lindsey that is so sad. Yeah I feel for your duck too. He really needs his buddy. And your awesome turkeys! That is so sad!!! I guess the one redeeming thing is that at least he didn't get your hens and got the cockerels instead. Can the drake get in with the Sebbie he likes to be around?
I'm so sorry!.

 

[chicken danz]

I got my first peacock egg! I am so excited. Having your own is so much nicer than buying eggs to hatch. I hope she lays a few more and sits. It's awesome.

 

[Ivywoods]

Josie-I am so sorry about the dog's killing spree. I know what you are going through because we went through it with our blood tracking dog. We didn't really want to get rid of the dog. He was a great little dog with the exception of his obcession with poultry. Again, so sorry.

Danz-Congrats on the peacock! I hope it does well.

 

[HEChicken]

We harvested a bunch of stuff today -- a few stray peas, a bunch of beets, radishes and carrots, as well as one rutabaga DH insisted on, even though it's still small for a rutabaga.

I'm going to confess my ignorance here. I've heard of rutabagas but have NO idea what it is - what it looks like, what it tastes like, whether you eat it raw or cooked and if cooked HOW you cook it. I guess I should google image it so I have a clue. Congratulations on all the stuff you've harvested this year - I'm envious and will be glad to get my garden in this fall and start planting again next spring.

I got my first peacock egg! I am so excited. Having your own is so much nicer than buying eggs to hatch. I hope she lays a few more and sits. It's awesome.

Yay!!!

 

[JosieChick]

Thanks everyone for well wishes. It is so sad.

Danz- Congrats on the peacock egg, how exciting for you! I was thinking about moving the duck tomorrow with the two girls (who are growing like weeds) into their own pen? Do you think they would be ok together? I haven't let anyone out today, most of the gang is pretty shook up still and nobody even came near the gate wanting out this morning when I fed and watered. I thought the duck was going to die last night but he seems ok today, just sad and lonely. He is the less brave of the two so he would follow his buddy over to the geese but I don't think he would go on his own and the adult geese would chase him away which I think would be even more stressful for him.

I don't know if the injured turkey is going to make it. It is having a tough time breathing. I have given it more meds in the last 24 hours than I can think of right now. DH has been prescribing everything but the kitchen sink for the poor thing. He has some bad wounds, I just squirted some lidocaine in them in hopes of dulling his pain and he is on tons of oral pain meds too and two kinds of antibiotics and vitamin/electrolytes and critical care formula. I don't know if I am just prolonging the inevitable or if he will pull through. I really want him to make it so the other turkey has his friend back. They were so sweet, they just came up on the porch yesterday morning and had "breakfast" with us. Poor, sweet, silly birds. I am so glad I put the geese up before I left and that all my girls were up in their pens but I still feel so bad about all the cockerels. That is no way to die. At least if they are butchered it is quick and fairly humane. There was nothing humane about the dog mauling them to death.

Ivy- Love that little coop, if I had that I would keep all my favorite bantam cochins in it, it is precious.

 

[Hawkeye95]

I made this in anticipation of having to rescue six birds, but before I could go get the chooks, the lady gave them to someone else. So now I'm left with this groovy little tractor and nobody to live in it. I had planned to sell it to a couple of friends who turned out not to be ready to jump in just yet, so it's up for grabs. first $375 takes it. It's 4X8 and about four or five feet tall. three doors and a built in feed trough. All materials are new except for the metal roofing, which is re-purposed, and the tires which are off a snapper mower, and can be jacked up (or down) to two different heights for ease in moving.
I'm in Lawrence, and can deliver it for mileage costs....
I'm experienced in building all sorts of custom poultry housing, in case you want something different

Bob Gent
785-843-1590

Don't need it, but it's cute!

Hawkeye, you need to get that coop done for your brother! I know what your hang up is with it, but you will find a solution, you're so creative. Let me know when you plan to deliver it.

Well I do have some things I need to do today. I started working on the livingroom wall again last night, I need to put the sealer on the last cement wall & then paint it so we can move the whole big screen TV & stand & all over so my DH can see better from his recliner. He's been complaining every since we got the new furniture, but I need help moving the TV so I can paint the wall behind there. I don't think he thought about that part, sigh. I also want to work some on trying to build some nest boxes tonight for my coop. I'm not very happy with my present ones, so I'm going to see what I can come up with using the scrap wood I have left in the garage.

I didn't work on it this morning, my motivation gave way. I think I'm going to use Ondura or the plastic.. and I'm leaning toward plastic. I think I'm going to get out there tonight and work on it and get it to the point where all I need is the roof... that won't take much. There isn't much more to do.

Good luck with the painting! Sounds like moving that tv isn't going to be much fun!

Well gang, it has finally happened. I have this darn dog from the humane society. He is one of our house dogs and he is a flat coated retriever with a ton of prey drive. We have worked tirelessly with him and the chickens but he still wants to hunt them. He dug out of the privacy fenced backyard while I was gone to Kansas City yesterday and went on a killing spree. I lost 8 cockerels that were growing out for butcher, my best splash cochin roo, two of my precious turkeys and one is seriously wounded and one of my cayuga drakes.

I am still in a state of shock. I got home and there were dead birds everywhere.

OMGosh! I would be just as upset! That is so terrible! I'm so, very sorry about your poor birds! Your turkey and duck... awww, just heart breaking! I sure hope your turkey makes it. Just as well you got rid of the dog, he would try again if he could. I think you nailed it when you said it was a betrayal. It certainly feels that way. Definitely not a good way for them to die, but it's not your fault; you thought you had your dog secure, you had no way of knowing he'd dig out.

I got my first peacock egg! I am so excited. Having your own is so much nicer than buying eggs to hatch. I hope she lays a few more and sits. It's awesome.

Congrats on the first pea egg!!! YAY!

I don't know if the injured turkey is going to make it. It is having a tough time breathing. I have given it more meds in the last 24 hours than I can think of right now. DH has been prescribing everything but the kitchen sink for the poor thing. He has some bad wounds, I just squirted some lidocaine in them in hopes of dulling his pain and he is on tons of oral pain meds too and two kinds of antibiotics and vitamin/electrolytes and critical care formula. I don't know if I am just prolonging the inevitable or if he will pull through. I really want him to make it so the other turkey has his friend back. They were so sweet, they just came up on the porch yesterday morning and had "breakfast" with us. Poor, sweet, silly birds. I am so glad I put the geese up before I left and that all my girls were up in their pens but I still feel so bad about all the cockerels. That is no way to die. At least if they are butchered it is quick and fairly humane. There was nothing humane about the dog mauling them to death.

I hope he makes it, and I don't think you are prolonging anything, if I were you, I'd be doing everything I could too. You have nothing to lose by trying. I sure hope there is better news by tomorrow. Poor things, turkeys are the best.

 

[Trish44]

Josie, Gosh I'm so sorry for your loss, what a day. I hope someone will make the dog a good home that doesn't have poultry. There are just some dogs that never should be around birds, especially hunting types of dogs. That is just so sad & I had to send you a PM too on a day like this with more not so good news, I'm so sorry, I didn't know of your other losses until I came back upstairs to the computer, hugs to you.

Danz, congrats on the peacock egg, how exciting! I'm waiting for my other Cream Legbar eggs to get here, I sent the person I got them from a PM letting them know about the first ones. I sure hope these other 4 get here in better shape. I'm looking for some more Swedish Flower Hen eggs that aren't so expensive. I tried to get some the other night on eBay, but didn't win the bid, so I'm still looking. I don't want to get any all the way from Florida, they wouldn't make it that far probably.

My DH went out & got the foundation done for my breeder coop today, so now we're ready to go buy wood. He's not in a very good frame of mind about it all, he's been pretty grouchy about it actually, I know he's not looking forward to building this thing & I'm not looking forward to his griping & bitching the whole time we're working on it. I don't see it as any picnic either working with him on it. I wish I had the money to just hire someone to come build it for me instead, but I don't.